It is to be certain of that which one cannot see
by Cereal-Killa
Summary: In a world where angels are rare and wage a hefty price on the market, a young hunter captures and illegally keeps a dark winged angel to himself. Mature Duncan/Courtney
1. FIRST

**Summary**_ In a world where angels are rare and wage a hefty price on the market, a young hunter captures and illegally keeps a dark winged angel to himself._

**Published** July 2nd, 2013.

**Predicted Length** Four chapters or less.

**Updates** Spastic but should be finished by December/November.

**Warnings/Notes** While I am not particularly religious, I would rather everyone refrain from flaming any religious references made in the following story. References to the Christian Bible were made for realism and progression of the story. Much of the inspiration/writing references came from these: The Bible, Dante's Inferno, CW's Supernatural, Romeo and Juliet, and a talk with a young child I had about a month ago. Odd inspirational group, I'm aware, but alas.

**Disclaimer** I don't own Total Drama Island, okay, or any of the Total Drama works or characters for that matter. I know, I know, it makes no sense, since I clearly love them more than the creators, but regrettably, life goes on.

* * *

**IT IS **

**TO BE**

**CERTAIN**

**OF THAT**

**WHICH**

**ONE**

**CANNOT SEE**

* * *

by Cereal Killa

* * *

_"__By that sin fell the angels.__"_

**William Shakespeare**

* * *

FIRST

* * *

AT NEARLY SUNDOWN, Duncan grabs his rifle and steps into his car, Trent right behind him, hopping along in the backseat. "Gotta at least catch a fairy tonight, Bud." Trent howls his approval and the dark haired man smirks around his cigarette.

The forest is on the edge of town and it takes about ten minutes to get there. By then the sun has set, clouds casting slowly overhead and promising for a dark night.

Trent sniffs around for a few minutes before pointing in a direction heading east. "How far?" Duncan mutters, and the German shepherd taps his foot once. "One mile, eh? Not too bad," he quips before following the dog deeper into the woods.

He adjusts his jacket when Trent whimpers a bit as they near whatever he's sniffed out. It must be a vamp, maybe a low class demon, or maybe some type of shape shifter, to get Trent so bent out of shape. He runs a hand through his short, cropped hair and checks to make sure his gun is loaded all the way.

Trent huffs out a huge breath that is almost silent but Duncan recognizes it for what it is. They've entered the nest of... whatever it is that Trent has found.

Duncan puffs out a breath and traces the scar on the side of his face before heading in.

He lays low inside a bush with Trent and waits. And waits. And then waits a bit more. "Were ya just fuckin' with me Bud, or-" He stops short after hearing a tiny rustle in the distance.

And then there it is! Or should he say there she is. Obviously it's female, since it's naked and curvy and hot damn. Duncan shakes his head, focusing again. It's obviously not human, if the cat like yellow eyes were anything to go by. As it emerges from the darkness into the setting moonlight, Duncan fights the urge to gasp.

He knows that they exist, but he's never actually seen one in person. Dark wings stretch from its back, and Duncan wonders if perhaps it has fallen. He is almost sure that all lore speaks of angels having innocent, white wings. Also, angel wings are only about seven feet in wing span. This angel's is obviously over six meters.

Duncan is patient, however. Others would have taken a shot already, but Duncan isn't like the others. That's what makes him one of the best hunters in Wawanakwa.

He waits a bit, watching as it bends down low to look at something on the ground. It stays by the ground for a few moments, and then Duncan takes his shot.

A blood curdling scream reaches Duncan's ears but he can't suppress his smile. It sounds nearly human. He was right- the thing is an angel. Only an angel could sound that human. Even shifters would sound monstrous when in pain.

Trent goes over and inspects the angel, barking at Duncan once he finds it was safe enough to approach it. Duncan laughs under his breath- the angel is unconscious. Not wanting it to lose too much blood, he wraps up its shoulder tightly with gauze and medical tape before looking around curiously. The angel had been healing a dead moon flower.

He plucks the flower and tucks it into his pocket before tying the angel up and hauling it back toward his car.

* * *

It's been two days and the angel is still out cold.

Duncan hasn't reported having it yet because, well, that's the way Duncan works. He's kept a few creatures around his house for the heck of it sometimes, usually selling them after a month or so. Fairies tend to help clean around the house and, well, he still has Trent, after all these years.

He's also curious about the angel. Angel are rare, illegal creatures, only to be owned with a permit. Most hunters go their whole lives without ever spotting one, or living to tell. They are very strong creatures. They are rumored to have ridiculous healing powers, which is confirmed when Duncan finds the angel's bullet wound has healed completely over night.

He can probably make a hefty dollar off of her, but he decides to check it out first. His hunt, his call, he says to himself.

He tells Trent to keep a lookout on the angel and heads out in the morning. He's not dumb enough to just let an angel wake up in his house- he knows he's gonna have to take precaution.

How to find that precaution is the real question, however. Owning an angel is illegal without a permit, and finding the materials to raise one is even deeper in the black market. Thankfully, Duncan has a buddy who is known for finding deals in low places.

"Geoff," Duncan breaths as the two men embrace in a (manly) hug. "Been forever since I've seen you, man. Where ya been?"

The blonde laughs around his joint, letting Duncan out of the hug and clasping both his hands on his shoulders. "Hunting the wiliest shifter you've ever done heard of, dude. Crazy bastard, he was," He shakes his head, reminiscing.

"Well, Geoff, I've got a favor to ask-"

"Ya always do," Geoff says, grinning. Duncan frowns at this and Geoff laughs again. "It's not any problem, Duncan. You're my brother, ya know that right?"

Duncan smiles sadly. "Yeah, I know," he says quietly.

"Whatcha need?"

Coughing into his hand, Duncan continues. "I had an interesting catch last night and I need ta ask ya for some things." Geoff nods at him, and Duncan goes on to clarify. "Things like maybe... an angel collar?"

Geoff's eyes widen. "Really?"

Duncan smirks. "Really. Found it last night in the woods, who would've thought."

"When are ya gonna sell it?"

"You know how I work, Geoff," the dark haired man says. "I don't sell it until I've inspected it. Gotta continue Dad's tradition."

The blonde chuckles in surprise as he heads toward the back of the shop, looking around at all of his tools. "No way. You still have that old journal of his?"

"To this day," Duncan says, trying and failing to keep the pride out of his voice. His dad is kind of a dirt bag father, but he's a damn good hunter, and he's raised a son just as well as him. "Lord knows where he is now, though." Duncan says with a touch of bitterness.

"Best damn hunter I've ever met," Geoff says back, with more emotion in his voice than Duncan supposes he'd like to let on. "If you see him before me, tell him I said to come visit sometime, ok?" He comes back to the front of the store with a box, leaning over it and whispering toward Duncan, as though someone else is in the shop, which there isn't. "Now listen ta me, I put everything yer gonna need in this box right here, but ya gotta promise me if ya get caught, you-"

"Don't tell on you, I know the procedure, Geoff, I'd rather die than rat ya out."

Geoff smiles brightly. "Good," and he shoves the box into Duncan's waiting arms.

* * *

Duncan comes home to find Trent sitting on the porch. "What happened?" He asks quietly. Trent just whimpers and tucks his paws above his head. "You're fuckin' kidding me," Duncan says in exasperation.

He opens the box out there on the porch and grabs out two key items he just knows he's about to need.

Walking inside the house, he almost faints at the order that his house is in. "Gwen," he hisses under his breath.

A small light goes off under a torn rug. "Gwen, come here," he repeats, and this time the small light floats toward him. A girl who could fit into his palm comes toward him, her wings fluttering behind her as she approaches. "What happened?"

"Why don't you ask Trent?" Gwen seethes at the dog that is hidden between Duncan's legs. "He's the one who let the angel go rouge." Trent growls lowly, but the fairy just sticks out her tongue. "Oh whatever, you so did."

"Shut up!" Duncan snaps, making the both of them lower their heads. "Where is it now?" He asks. Gwen points toward the kitchen and he scowls. "Ok, I need you to do something for me..."

As he approaches the kitchen, he is alarmed by the animalistic growls he hears coming from the far end of the room. He peeks his head in and fights his need to groan from the sight.

His kitchen is in an even worse state than his living room, which he didn't think was possible. Plates are broken on the floor and the sink is going, and the refrigerator has been left wide open. All of the cabinets are open and ravaged through, as well as one cabinet that is currently inhabited by an angel who is naked and thoroughly devouring a whole box of Fruity Pebbles.

"Jesus Christ," he says under his breath, which is of course the wrong thing to do at that point. An alert, crazy eyed angel turns toward him, it's wings puffing out to full span and knocking over the blender in the process. It's long brown hair is tangled and unruly, coming down to about its back.

He can tell it's about to lunge, and thankfully, Gwen remembers her part. The angel's feral look goes tired as it falls limp in front of him. Gwen holds the small needle full of sedative in her tiny arms, panting. "This thing is really heavy, Duncan," she says, straining. He comes up to her and plucks the small needle from her, leaning over the angel and checking that it is really out. "Damn, you are a handful," He says quietly before clamping the collar around its neck.

"Where did you get that?" Gwen asks, clearly freaked out. Angel collar's have enough magic suppression to kill smaller creatures.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not gonna use one on you." He hears a small whimper from the corner. "Or you Trent, Jeez." He sighs, leaning down against the counter, looking around at the mess in frustration.

"Bet you wish you hadn't sold all those fairies you caught last month, now do ya?" Gwen spits before cowering at Duncan's grimace.

"I could have sold you as well," is enough to make her start cleaning up the house. Duncan sighs, knowing he shouldn't have be so harsh but not being able to care. "Can you please make yourself useful, Trent?"

The dog whimpers before a human voice shoots at him, "Ya don't have ta be so mean about it!" Trent calls, his green eyes upset.

"Put some damn clothes on, Trent."

"You know it takes a lot of effort to conjure up a human form, right?" Duncan sighs and nods his head, waving him off and into the other room, still not understanding how Trent can be so comfortable in all his naked glory. Skin-walkers really are shameless bastards.

Duncan picks up the angel, suddenly aware of how naked it is. He feels almost horrid thinking of what will happen once he sells it. Skin-walkers, like Trent, are usually killed on spot, and are only allowed to be kept if the owner keeps a collar on them at all times. Fairies are only mischievous so no really minds if people keep them, people usually just make a fuss if they disturb the neighbors. Duncan is pretty sure Geoff said once it is legal to own a mermaid, and mostly anything excluding a demon and an angel. Other creatures are too animal like, too small, too different. Demon's and angels are... almost human. So human that it is never surprising to here of some owner getting caught up in a sex slave trade with them.

Duncan shudders at the thought. Being intimate with a monster... it disgusts him more than he cares to admit. In his mind, he knows what happens with all monsters eventually. They are all the same. Even though Gwen and Trent have been with him for years, he knows, eventually, they will turn on him. And when that day comes, no matter how hard it may be, he knows he will not hesitate to shoot and kill them. He has promised them both he will never give them up for sale. And he will do whatever he can to keep that promise until he has to end it all.

He tries not to think about it, dragging the angel upstairs with him.

* * *

She smells something. It's burning.

Sitting straight up, she looks around. The room is large just as the bed is. The sheets are soft but stiff, obviously not used for a while. There is a man sitting in a chair beside the bed, writing in a book and huffing away on a cigarette. She jumps at the sight of him and he looks up, surprised. The surprise falters and he smirks at her.

"Morning, Princess!" He says, and she thinks, _too loud. _She tries to throw him against the wall but finds that she can't. She focuses again. It fails. Her powers... She grabs at her neck, eyes widening at what she feels.

"Sorry, sweet pea, but I couldn't have you running around amok like you were before." She growls, but he keeps smiling. "Gwen made ya breakfast," he says, pointing toward the plate that she just noticed was sitting at the end of her bed. She stares at it, and he urges her on, chuckling a bit. "Go on," he says. "Eat."

She flares out her wings, nearly knocking him over in the process. "Do not demand things from me." She says stiffly.

The man's bright blue eyes twinkle. "So you _can _talk!" He says. "And English, how about that. Would've thought angels were too separated from human culture to know about that language."

"I am thousands of years old." She says defiantly.

"Which is why I didn't expect ya ta use a language that basically makes a mockery out of other languages. Don't you guys prefer Latin?"

"Greek," she says, then notices he is writing again. "What are you doing?"

He looks up at her again. "Keeping notes." She tilts her head, and he smirks as he clarifies, "Yes, on you, sunshine."

Her yellow eyes widen but she then looks down toward her plate. She begins to pick up the yellow stuff with her fingers, eating slowly and watching him with a dark look.

"Who are you?" She hisses.

"Duncan." He says, simply and cleanly. She doesn't speak again, and tries to ignore his prying eyes as she eats her breakfast.

* * *

Duncan has never been more amused with a creature before.

They have learned over the past few days that the angel has many quirks. While it speaks impeccably perfect English, it doesn't know the use of a fork when eating eggs. It likes bacon, and it likes to chase Gwen. It does not know how to use the toilet, which results in a few broken pipes and a flood leading out into the hallway.

Also, it likes to walk on all fours, which Duncan resolutely stops as soon as it begins. "Gotta learn to walk like a person unless ya wanna be treated like a dog," which gains another whimper from Trent, but Duncan ignores him.

The angel is now wearing some of Duncan's old boxers and a tee-shirt he has cut slits into for the wings. He is going to have to go shopping for it, he guesses. _As if you're going to keep it that long? _He shrugs off his thoughts and instead continues writing.

Currently, the angel is sitting on the couch in the living room, wings tucked in and feet curled under itself. She is staring intently at the television, entranced by it, almost. Gwen sighs beside Duncan's ear, and he looks to see her tiny form sitting on his shoulder. "Please, can we _not _keep it?" Gwen asks.

Duncan chuckles under his breath. "It's so interesting. And black wings, really, I had no idea they could tuck them in like that."

"Something is off about her." Gwen says quietly, and Duncan realizes something.

"Hey, um... hey angel." It whips it's head around and watches him, watching with intent as Gwen flitters off before the angel can chase it. "What's your name?"

The angel blinks at him. "Curtenussi."

Duncan frowns. "Oh..." Trent barks at him, and Duncan turns toward him. "What is it, Bud?"

Sighing reluctantly, Gwen enters the room again. "He said you can call her Courtney."

Duncan smirks. "Yeah, Courtney... that's a nice girl's name, ain't it?"

The angel scowls. "My true form is genderless."

"Your form now obviously has a vag, so we'll call ya Courtney, Courtney."

The angel shakes her head but looks back at the television with interest. "Tell me, what is a 'Snooki and J-Woww', exactly?"

"Aaaaaaand that's enough TV for the day," Duncan says, shutting off the television and chuckling. "Rots your brain anyway."

Courtney looks around, taking in everything again. She sometimes will pluck at the collar and focus on him, which he realizes is her trying to throw him against the wall with her telekinesis. Realizing she is powerless is taking a while to settle in.

"Well, Trent, I need you to hold down the fort for me, and Gwen, I want you to cook up that Salmon in the fridge, and Courtney-" He looks at her, watching as she stares at him defiantly. "-Well, um... I guess you could help Gwen, or...?" He bites his lip. "Whatever. I'm going to the store... Geoff is coming over tonight... so please don't destroy the house."

"Why are you going to the store?" Gwen asks. "You just went shopping yesterday!" Trent barks repeatedly and Gwen translates, "Oh yeah, and you forgot to get more Kibble last time."

Duncan sighs, sending Courtney a large grin, "Right now, you're my favorite," before strutting out the door.

* * *

By the time Duncan gets back he is happy to see that the house is not, in fact, a wreck. Trent is busy helping set the table, which Duncan happily takes over in exchange for Trent turning back into a dog and not an obnoxiously naked man. Courtney is watching the water from the sink fall onto the veggies Gwen is cleaning for dinner. "And could you get the Salmon out of the freezer for me?" Gwen asks, to which Courtney easily complies. "God, you are so much more help than Trent ever was."

"Don't use His name in such a manner." Courtney says quietly, but Gwen still hears her.

"Excuse me?" The fairy chirps, floating above the veggies as she turns off the sink.

Courtney turns after putting the Salmon where Gwen has asked. "My Father's name is not to be used in such a manner."

Duncan's eyes widen. He is fairly surprised. From what he has researched, almost every angel has given up faith and accepted that they are in a world with an absent father, saying it is the only explanation as to why they have been treated like trash for the past hundreds of years. Some angels have lost so much faith that they eventually fell, or lost their powers. No one really knows exactly how that works, but the point is not many angels actually believe God still cares about them, much less exists.

The fairy holds up her hands, giving Courtney a mocking look of apology. "My bad," she tuts, before continuing with what she is cooking.

"Hey, Princess," Duncan says, trying to lighten the mood. Courtney looks up at him, her wide yellow eyes watching him with awe, as though she is amazed he actually came back. He reaches out for a lock of her hair and hesitates when she flinches before bringing the hand to cup a fist full of the brown mess. "We need to get you cleaned up."

* * *

She is all in all freaked out.

"What is that?" She screeches, watching as Duncan holds what looks to be a... some sort of double sword. Whatever it is, it's pointing and sharp and looks a lot like an angel killing weapon and she wails, "Get that away from me!"

Duncan gives her a look of confusion. "This?" He says, looking at the weapon as though it's harmless. "It's just a pair of scissors."

"I don't know of what technology you humans have invented in the past few hundred years but I'm not keen to learn about your new weaponry!" She hisses at him as she climbs the sink in hysteria.

He finishes cutting holes in the back of the three shirts he bought, trying to make them large enough to cover her wingspan. "I'm pretty sure scissors date back to like... thousands of years ago. Whatever. Get your ass over here." Duncan says, sighing when he realizes Courtney is shaking in fear. "I just want to cut your hair, ok?"

"...My hair?" Courtney says quietly, grabbing the messy strands and looking at them in awe, almost. "Why would you wish to cut it...?"

Looking at her confused and fearful face makes Duncan take a deep breath before setting the scissors back on the counter. "I don't know. It just seemed easier than getting the tangles out later." He crosses the small room to where the bath is, turning the handle and checking the water temperature as he fills up the tub. "Just wash yourself off and wash your hair and then we'll deal with it... and change into these clothes." Duncan holds up the shopping bags he'd come in with earlier.

Courtney narrows her eyes at him. "Why?"

Duncan recognizes her stance as one of harsh rebellion. It is obvious that she doesn't like taking orders and doesn't like things being 'demanded' of her, but Duncan is sort of tired of it already. "Well, for one, you look like shit. When is the last time you cleaned up?"

"You speak as if I ever had the time to do as such. I've spent the last three hundred years in hiding."

"And none of you angel-buddies ever once told you to maybe use a little soap?"

"All my friends are dead." She says with finality.

Duncan stares at her for a few moments before turning off the faucet. "Take a bath," he says quietly, leaving her in the bathroom and rubbing his temples the whole way down the stairs.

* * *

"Human!"

"Human!"

"Hu- Duncan!"

"DUNCAN!"

"Hold your horses, I'm coming, jeez!" Duncan growls, slamming open the bathroom door. "You do realize Geoff will be here in less than-"

He stops short at the site of the angel.

Courtney's black wings are wet and slick, her hair hanging limply around her small face. She has put on the jeans Duncan bought for her, but that's about it. Her upper half is completely devoid of clothing, and Duncan fights to keep his eyes on her own.

"I do not understand this odd contraption." She holds up the small black bra in her hands, looking at it oddly. "It is a sort of... head device, or the like?"

Duncan fights the urge to face palm himself. "Oh my G- Gwen!" He yells. "Come help Courtney before Geoff gets here!" The fairy comes zipping up the stairs, shooting Duncan an odd look but not saying anything as she directs Courtney on how to wear the garments.

As Duncan runs down the stairs, Trent laughs at him. "Why the hell are you in your human form?" Duncan groans.

Trent just chuckles again. "Crushing on an angel, are we, tomato face?" Duncan's look turns to one of shocked horror as he turns to face the mirror in the hallway, seeing that he is in fact sporting a huge blush across his cheeks.

"Be a fucking dog again before I douse you in Holy Water." Trent's eyes widen and he immediately takes the form of a German shepherd again, green eyes twinkling in fear.

* * *

A/N: July is update month! I am steadily entering the world of Fanfiction once again, duckies, just give me a little time. Thank you for reading, and another chapter should be out fairly soon. ;) Also it's 4:53 am, why the fuck am I still up


	2. SECOND

**Summary **In a world where angels are rare and wage a hefty price on the market, a young hunter captures and illegally keeps a dark winged angel to himself.

**Published **July 23rd, 2013.

**Predicted Length **Four chapters or less; at this point, possibly five.

**Updates **Spastic but should be finished by December/November.

**Warnings/Notes **Yet again, many religious references. Blasphemy! Lol. I kind of just wanted to say that...

**Disclaimer **I don't own Total Drama Island, I know. It's a fact that wounds me deeper with each passing day.

* * *

**IT IS **

**TO BE**

**CERTAIN**

**OF THAT**

**WHICH **

**ONE**

**CANNOT SEE**

* * *

_"What an excellent day for an exorcism."_

**The Exorcist**

* * *

SECOND

* * *

DUNCAN ANSWERS THE door with a smile. "Geoff, buddy!" They do their old hand shake and Duncan looks around behind Geoff to see who's with him. "And this is...?"

Geoff smirks. "A rarity, right there. This is my date, Bridgette." The blonde girl comes up to Duncan with a strong handshake, making Duncan arch a brow. She's pretty headstrong. "Bridgette is a hunter."

"Oh yeah?" Duncan says quietly, eying her with a suspicious smile. "What's your specialty?"

"Mostly shifters," She says with a spark in her eye. "But the occasional skin walker."

Duncan laughs heartily, liking her already. "Oh, well then you're gonna love Trent." Again, another whimper, and again, Duncan not caring.

"Geoff tells me you're a hunter too, and a damn good one at that," Bridgette comments as they sit down at the dinner table and Gwen brings their plates over.

"Best in the state, if ya ask me," Geoff says around a forkful of Salmon. "Duncan has captured more demons than I care to count."

"Demons?" Bridgette says quietly, looking at Duncan with curiosity. "Not many people go after them."

"I have my own personal reasons," Duncan chirps, his tone effectively ending that conversation.

Bridgette, however, doesn't catch the hint. "And what reasons might those be?"

Duncan's eye twitches. "As I said before. The personal kind." This time he glares and the conversation really does end there.

"Well, Duncan has caught a lot more than just demons," Geoff says as a way to clear the air. "Trent here is a skin walker," he says, referring to the dog who is currently salivating at their feet, "And he's had that fairy for what? Two years now?"

"Gwen has been around for about three years," Duncan says, noticing Gwen's annoyed look from the counter for being referred to as 'that fairy'. "Not the most compliant but she's special." This earns a happy spark of light from the fluttering wings nearby and Duncan almost chuckles.

"I've gotta say, you live with magic beings pretty well. My dad could never keep our old werewolf under control." Bridgette comments quietly.

"I just give them a home in exchange for a little help." He says, trying to downplay the whole thing. A lot of hunters don't exactly approve of the whole keeping-magical-creatures-as-pets type thing and are more on the omg-a-monster-kill-it-with-fire side of the fence.

Geoff sighs contentedly as he finishes his plate. "Damn, that was nice. Ok Duncan, let's go see that angel."

Duncan rolls his eyes as he picks up their plates and puts them in the sink, leaving Gwen to start on loading the dish washer. "Ya know, for a celestial being, angels aren't exactly graceful."

"Simply because they aren't in their true form," Bridgette says with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "The true form of an angel is said to heal the sick and strengthen the weak."

"Yeah, well," he mumbles, not quite wanting to argue with the female hunter. She has a bit of an attitude, and while Duncan doesn't mind her, he isn't exactly starting to fall in love with her either.

"Bridgette is an expert on angels," Geoff says once they've gotten up the stairs and are opening the door.

"I've never actually seen one," she says humbly. "My major was angelic studies and culture in college." Duncan gives her a look of admiration at that. Rarely any hunters have much beyond a high school education, if that.

He opens the door and tries not to smash his head in the door purposefully when he sees she is, yet again, watching that wretched reality show. Her head whips toward them as she stands up from the bed, and then Duncan feels his mouth drop a bit.

Courtney's shirt fits her in all the right places, showing off the curve of her bosom. He is really amazed with the jeans, however. He has seen her naked plenty, but seeing the angel in jeans really provokes a feeling in him that he does not want to think too hard about.

At the sight of the newcomers, Courtney's wings tower over her head and she hisses a chant under her breath. "Hey hey," Duncan says quietly, walking toward her and rolling his eyes as she hisses even louder at him. "I swear, they're cool. No one's gonna hurt ya."

She continues mumbling in a foreign language but it's under her breath. She flinches when he touches her shoulder and looks at her with tired blue eyes. "I promise to ya they won't touch ya or any deal like that, jus' gonna look at ya. Ain't that right, guys?" Duncan turns to the two blondes in the room.

Bridgette raises a brow. "I really would have liked to examine the wings, and-" Courtney absolutely seethes at that, shaking her head in contempt.

"No touching." Duncan says, surprising the angel, who sends him a look of suspicion. He steps back from her, realizing how close they had been.

"We can do that." Geoff says with a smile. "We can do that, can't we, Bridge?" The smaller blonde frowns but nods, walking toward Courtney but staying a close enough distance as to not make the angel skitter.

Bridgette looks all over Courtney, who is actually much calmer than Duncan anticipated. She obviously doesn't feel the embarrassment that should come with being inspected so thoroughly. 'Angels are rather emotionless', Duncan thinks, but then again, that's the way it's always been foretold. Angels are, or rather were, the warriors of heaven. They were soldiers, nothing more. Courtney shouldn't be embarrassed, or fearful, or any of the like. She isn't human, or fairy, or even Trent and his melodramatic self. She is simply a soldier who is no longer needed for battle.

Bridgette suddenly stands up and looks at Duncan. "Can I talk to you for a bit?" His eyebrows raise, but he nods, following her out of the room with Geoff. The two men turn to face the smaller girl, who has a very intrigued look set upon her face. "I've gotta say, I have never seen wings like that before, ever."

"Ever?" Duncan says skeptically. "Not even in textbooks or journals? I thought she was possibly a fallen angel, but..."

She shakes her head. "A fallen angel simply loses its feathers over time... Most angels have the customary white wings. Some have been described as silver and sometimes blue if their a high level angel, but pitch black?" She grins. "Nu-uh. Nothing like that has ever been spotted."

Geoff's eyes widen. "That's rare as hell! You could make a fortune offa her, Duncan!"

Duncan falters, trying to find out how to word the fact that he doesn't want to sell her until he records all the information he can, but Bridgette helps him out. "No, no! Don't do that!" She turns to face Duncan with a hopeful look. "Listen, I really meant what I said when I told you about my major in college. I'm really interested in angels. Just let me research everything I've examined and let me get back to you okay? I don't need to take her or anything, I'm just ridiculously curious. A black winged angel sounds like the next huge discovery, so don't sell her off for less than she's worth just yet."

The dark haired man sighs but smirks, and agrees to Bridgette's terms, as though he was going to sell Courtney anytime soon anyways. "Oh thanks you so much! I'll be back to you soon with more information!"

* * *

Bridgette and Geoff couldn't have left soon enough, but Duncan tried to be kind and wave at them as they drove away. "Well, that was exasperating." Gwen says from behind him. He doesn't respond and instead flings himself onto the couch, worn out beyond belief. "I can't believe he had the audacity to refer to me as 'that fairy'. He knows my name, that idiot."

"Yeah, well, he was probably doing an act for Malibu Barbie. Yanno, trying to act like he's not all in with the crazy crew we got going here." Duncan muttered from behind his arm, which he had lain over his eyes.

Gwen huffs, and he smirks, removing his arm and allowing her to sit in his open hand. "So... black winged angels are a rare breed, huh?"

"More than rare, I bet." He mutters, almost to himself. "I've never even heard of them, and there ain't shit about 'em in dad's journal at all..." Which is odd in itself. Possibly Courtney is just discolored, but it feels like something... bigger.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Gwen says quietly. "I bet you'd get more answers that way that waiting on the so-called 'angel expert'."

"You didn't like her?" Duncan teases.

Gwen crosses her arms and gives him a disbelieving look. It's actually hilarious, coming from a fairy who is currently sitting in the palm of his hand. "She just didn't seem very trustworthy to me."

Duncan shrugs. "She seemed fine to me. Kind of a brat, but most women are." Gwen beats her wings against his face, and he splutters. "Jesus, woman!"

"Technically," Gwen quips as she flutters off to the kitchen, "I am a young girl. I'm only seventy two years old."

"Fuckin' hag," Duncan spits, heading upstairs. He walks into the guest room, where Courtney is petting Trent. He does a double take.

Courtney, an angel of the Lord, is sitting on her bed, petting a very happy Trent. His tail wags slightly and he makes little pleased noises as she scratches behind his ears. But it's not just that odd.

She's also singing.

It's quiet and in a much different language, but Duncan recognizes it.

_"Ave Maria... Gratia plena,_

_Maria, gratia plena_

_Maria, gratia plena..."_

Duncan felt his breath slow, his mind numbing. It had always been written that an angels true voice was enticing and soul sucking, but he'd never imagined it would be like this. Her voice was... soft, so soft you almost couldn't catch it, yet once you did... it was like an echo, a memory, your best memory, captured in the form of a song.

The song abruptly ended and a soft, "Duncan?" was heard. The dark haired man opened his eyes, looking to see both Trent and Courtney looking over at him.

He cleared his throat and stood up straight, wiping the goofy smile that had somehow befallen his face. "Alright, bud, I'm not gonna need you for next week's hunt." Trent howled softly in question. "I'm taking Courtney with me."

"What?" The angel questioned. "Why?" She asked again as she dragged another hand through Trent's soft fur.

Duncan could feel his canines sink into is lower lip as he grins. "Because we're going demon hunting, sweetheart."

* * *

Duncan spent the next few days trying to prepare Courtney for a hunt. It wasn't going very well, however. She was pretty adverse to the entire hunting deal, but Duncan knew high-class hunters who used angels to hunt. "Now we'll just have to buy some charm to hide your wings..."

"No reason for that." Courtney says, sitting on the couch munching on a piece of bacon. She claims she doesn't actually have to eat, but it is pleasurable. It's good that she doesn't, since Duncan is sure a bacon-exclusive diet isn't exactly healthy.

Gwen raises a brow at her from her seat atop of Trent's big furry head. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I don't need a charm to hide my wings." Courtney closes her eyes and her towering wings start to quiver. She cringes in pain as, slowly but surely, the wings start to retract into her body, sucking into her back until they are out of sight.

Duncan's eyes widen. "Um, doesn't that hurt?"

Courtney shrugs. "I'm just putting them back into my true form. It is uncomfortable, but not unbearable."

"What does that look like, exactly?" Gwen asks, and Trent looks at her with curiosity as well. "I've heard it's like, seven feet tall and has three heads and is really scary."

"More like the size of this house." Courtney says quietly, and the other occupants of the room blink in shock. "I would show it to you, but it would burn your eyes from your sockets and rip your souls from your bodies."

"Alrighty then, we don't need to see it." Duncan says, albeit disappointedly. Admittedly, he did kind of want to see the form, if only to record about it. He had also read about the true form of angels before, but in order for a human to see one, they had to rip out the grace from an angel, and basically rip it's power out. The true form would appear then, as well as the vessel of the human the angel had been possessing, but no angel had ever survived humanization. Ripping out it's grace was too much. In fact, that made him think. "Just whose meat suit are you using, exactly?"

Courtney lowered her gaze. "My vessel's name was Ahuiliztli. She was an Aztec widow who tried to take her own life when her significant other died in battle. I came to her and told her I would provide her redemption, as well as redeem the soul of her lover who had spilled so much blood, if she were to allow me to possess her. Many angels change vessels every twenty years or so, but I preferred this vessel. She was loving and determined, and had a pure soul."

Duncan frowned. "So are you telling me angels possess people on the regular, or something? I thought they wanted to protect humans."

"My brothers and sisters never liked humans. They hated them for stealing the love of God." She said it quietly, as though she was leaving something else unspoken. She hesitated, but then spoke, even softer than before, turning her gaze toward the window. "There was a time when I found humans beautiful, however." She turns to Duncan. "Even those with imperfections..." Duncan watched her for a few moments before turning away, walking back upstairs. He felt his jaw clench as he traced the scar on his face.

* * *

It has been recorded that angels could always sense demons, near or far. They can sense the small, inner demons inside of humans if they look hard enough, the devilish thoughts which plague them. So it's really no surprise to Duncan when Courtney picks at the seat of his car and looks over to him solemnly. "I know," she proclaims.

"I know ya do." He says quietly, a small smile on his face. "Ya knew when ya looked at me yesterday."

"Does anyone else know?"

He shook his head, taking another drag from his cigarette. "Not even my dad."

She narrows her eyes. "Why do you hunt your own kind?" She pauses, and then speaks again. "While you are mostly human, they are still related to you in a sense-"

Duncan clicks his tongue. "See, I don't consider them my own kind. At all."

Courtney's eyes widened. "Really?"

Duncan rolled his eyes. "Kinda wanna hang onto my humanity, sweetheart. Just because I'm half demon doesn't mean I'm evil." Which was a harsh way of putting it, but, well...

"Your mother was a demon." She says matter-of-factly. "Your father didn't know, since she was possessing a human and hiding her true form... and when she went to kill him he simply thought she had been recently possessed, and he killed her in turn. You have demon blood inside of you, which offers you a sixth sense toward demons especially. You use this to hunt, which is why you are considered one of the best."

He winks at her. "Don't forget the emotionally unstable father who handed me a gun at age seven."

"You have no demonic powers?" She questions.

"No," he says, honestly. Duncan has always been able to sense demons but as for anything past that, he's just a normal dude. He can pass the Holy Water test and doesn't get caught in demon traps. "Only physical evidence of anything out of the ordinary is that I was born with this." He points toward the scar lining his cheek. "I used to have nightmares as a kid, yanno, when I would accidentally tune into Satan radio and hear the sounds of hell."

"What does it sound like?" Courtney asks, genuinely curious. "Heaven was quiet, I remember, always like a lullaby."

Duncan snorts. "Hell sounds like... it sounds like sadness. Not burning, not pain, just... frozen. Emotionless. Empty." He thinks for a moment. "How long has it been since you were in heaven?"

She frowns. "Two hundred years ago. The last angel to see heaven claims it was back in the late 1800's." She shakes her head, yellow eyes determinedly frustrated. "Father has not let in a single one since."

"Why?" Duncan asks, honestly curious. Courtney doesn't respond and he doesn't push it. It's late at night, and their already stopping the car by the edge of the forest.

"Alright," Duncan says, grabbing his rifle and jacket. "I'm not gonna bring any Holy Water 'cause I figure there's no need for testing if you can sense them immediately."

Courtney nods, following him into the forest with wide eyes. "Why do you trust me not to run off? This is my home." She speaks quietly.

His eyes flick toward her, and he smirks. "A lot of reasons. One, I've got a gun. Two, you couldn't survive on your own for shit with that collar on. And three- 'cause I just know you're sweet on me, wouldn't leave me for all the moon flowers in the world-"

"Be silent." He supposes that is Courtney's angelic version of 'shut the fuck up' so he chuckles and pleases her, finishing his cigarette and stomping it on the ground.

"Come on," he says, and they enter the shrouded darkness of the trees.

* * *

Courtney spots a demon quickly. "His aura is very blue... I suspect he is a new demon. They aren't as hateful as the older ones."

Duncan grunts, gesturing for her to follow him the direction she had pointed in. "Demon's a demon."

"They were once people." She speaks softly, her yellow eyes glinting from the underbrush of the trees.

He turns his gaze on her own, and feels his breath catch. They are pretty goddamned close to each other, but Courtney doesn't seem to mind that he can pretty much feel her breath hitting his shoulder. "...'Once' being the key word." He says, pushing past her and continuing on.

She doesn't say anything more, but he can almost feel her gaze on the back of his neck, burning softly into his throat.

"There." She says minutes later, "In that tree." Duncan looks up to where her thin finger is pointing, seeing what looks to be a man sleeping in the crook of the trunk. "I was correct, he is fairly new."

"No one cares, Princess," he says again, pulling out his rifle and aiming it at the demon.

"What are you-" Courtney jumps when the gun shot rang out, followed by the loud thump of something meeting the ground. "What are you doing?!" She yells, yellow eyes crazed. It is unlike her. She hasn't seemed so animalistic since before she had the angel collar on.

Ignoring her, he walks over to the demon, watching as it shifts in pain and discomfort and fighting the urge to spit at the damn thing. "Stop yer squirmin'. It's a bullet ingrained with holy water, ya won't be going anywhere for at least three days." Up close, it isn't a man- it is a boy, probably only twelve, maybe less. He is just a kid. "Why the fuck would you possess a pre-teen?" Dean asks quietly, binding the hands of the demon with special ties, made out of the same stuff as Courtney's angel collar.

The demon laughs, it's voice distorted, like an echo. All demon's voices are. "He's eleven; old enough to have his first erection, old enough for his first possession, I always say." It hisses, but it blinks and stops moving when it spots Courtney in the corner. It seeths, "Angel..."

It flinches when Courtney comes up to it. She pushes the brown hair on its forehead aside and Duncan growls at her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She ignores him, instead placing one finger on the demon's forehead and pushing. Duncan watches as the demon's jaw goes slack, it's red eyes turning gray.

Ten seconds later, she lets go, and the demon is back to its old self, seething at her in anger. "How dare you, you _bitch_-"

"His name was Cody." She speaks softly.

Both Duncan and the demon shoot her a look. "Excuse me?" Duncan says.

"The name of the boy this demon 'Heather' possessed... his name was Cody." She looks to the sky, staring sadly at it. "He was young, innocent, and very kind even though he was not particularly brave. He has many greats things to come in his future. It is a shame he had to suffer so long."

She snaps her fingers and the bindings on the demon's wrists snap off. Duncan yells in astonishment and anger, "What are you doing?!" But then the demon is shaking, and a black smoke begins to come out from the vessels nostrils. It slowly sinks into the ground, seeping in until it is all gone.

The demon blinks, except now, it's not with bright, red soulless eyes like before, but soft ocean blues. "What in the fuck did you do?" Duncan says, not looking away from what had previously been a demon, his mouth wide open in pure shock.

"I exorcised the demon. I sent it back to hell." She breaths, looking away from the scene.

Duncan turns back on her, shouting in anger and confusion. "What the hell do you mean?! Exorcisms kill the human the demon is possessing, and this kid is clearly alive!" Duncan isn't lying; he'd sat and performed a few with his father, but he rarely enjoyed them like other hunters did. In the end, you always wind up with a dead body.

Her shoulders are shaking as she turns around with tears in her eyes, holding her hand over her heart and breathing very quickly. "It's not easy to do, Duncan! It wounds me each time but that's what I was made for! To help humans, to save them!"

Duncan shakes his head, helping the little boy up. He is nearly unconscious, but he has a steady pulse. "Courtney, you're not normal."

"Not by your standards," she spits. "I'm an angel of the Lord, of course I'm-"

"I mean more than that, stupid!" He grimaces, annoyed with having to spell every damn thing out for her. "You have black wings, and yellow eyes, and you can exorcise demons without killing their host! You're more than an angel, you're not telling me something!"

Courtney looks shocked, but then her look falls to something more somber. "Let's get Cody somewhere safe."

Duncan scoffs, pulling her toward him. Again, getting that close to her stirs something inside him, but he tries to forget it. "Are you just gonna pretend like you didn't hear me?" He growls. "You may be all powerful in your mind, but just remember this; I own you."

Pushing him away, she wipes away her tears, which Duncan realizes are cried from pain. He wonders just how much it has hurt to remove the demon from the kid's body. "It will all be explained at a more appropriate time. We're not going to leave this child in the middle of the woods."

Cody whimpers, and Duncan sighs and lifts him up. "Fine," he agrees reluctantly, heading back out of the woods, watching Courtney with electrified anger the entire way.


End file.
